B2B Stories

Local sisters and business partners bounce into family entertainment company

You’ve probably witnessed children having the time of their lives on a bounce house, but it’s not every day you see their parents and grandparents bouncing with them. Molly Daley and Kelsye Butters want to change that. Local sisters, Daley and Butters, launched Elevate Evans | Luxury Bounce House Service in February. The mobile business provides bounce houses for not only birthday parties, but also more formal events, such as weddings. “We promote that we’re for all ages,” Daley said. “We would love to do retirement parties – we’re open

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Consumer Stories

CSRA lakefront home prices are not plunging

A new report published by Lake Homes Realty stated demand for lakefront property has surged this year, and at least one CSRA realtor told ABD she’s not surprised. The report is quoted as saying that lake lot listings have gone up by nearly $6 billion since February. “Lake home buyers know the market, trends and transactions, plus they detest inappropriately overpriced listings,” said Glenn S. Phillips, CEO and Chief Economic Analyst at Lake Homes Realty. “I still expect the 2023 transaction count to exceed 2022 by 10% to 15%. Increasing

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ABD Extra

Davis Beman: How do businesses cope with inflation?

Focus on what you do best! We take a look back at the economic panel discussion from ABD’s Conference and Expo in May. Davis Beman, principal of Beman Real Estate Company, speaks about the importance of maintaining great relationships and confidence as businesses face high interest rates.

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B2B Stories

Cyber attack hits millions including the CSRA

A sprawling cyber attack late last week compromised data for millions of people including state and federal agencies. On the list of those hacked was the Department of Energy. The Savannah River National Laboratory is under the DoE umbrella. The University of Georgia was also impacted by the breach. How many of you have kids that attend UGA or donate to the University? What does this mean for us and what is the potential impact? How does Fort Gordon’s Cyber Security Center fit into the mix? ABD turned to our

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Business Coaching

Coach Darin Myers: When your sales process is way too long and how to fix it

A drawn-out sales process can be the downfall of an otherwise healthy business – or at the very least, a huge drain on efficiency and profitability. Slow sales cycles are more expensive than their streamlined counterparts and profoundly impact the cash flow and financial stability of the company due to the delayed influx of sales dollars. Eager customers who find themselves trapped in a slow sales process often lose interest and perhaps look to even higher-priced or lower-quality competitors to fulfill their needs. Even if a drawn-out deal does eventually

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Consumer Stories

BEST OF RESTAURANT REVIEW: Business Lunch Review: Mosh Pit Eats

Editor’s Note: Wes Hennings never met a meal he walked away from and is an opinionated eater! Each Thursday he shares the results of a business lunch he’s had with a colleague as a way to advise our business community on the good, bad, and tasty across the CSRA. He doesn’t let ABD or the restaurant know where he is going and his opinions are his own. He grades the restaurants he visits on a 1-5 scale with “5” being outstanding. We call this our “Real Business Lunch Review”. Food

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Consumer Stories

Stressed out? There’s a Health Summit for that

Every part of running a business has the potential to stress you out and keep you up at night. Lack of sales, too much debt, issues with employees, and problems with equipment and operations can keep your brain in motion 24/7. It’s not physically or mentally healthy for you or your business. The Greater Augusta Black Chamber of Commerce might have some advice for you as they wind up their Men in Business month with a Men’s Health Summit Brunch this Saturday, June 24, at 10:00 a.m. Business owners are

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B2B Podcasting

Cash and confidence are King

Davis Beman discusses what folks who are starting a business share with him, “I have a great idea but not money.” So, what’s next?

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B2B Stories

Augusta’s all grown up like me!

In July 2001, I packed my Pontiac Sunfire coupe full of clothes and a few furnishings and shipped it from my hometown just north of Chicago to my new home in Augusta. My license plate at the time read “IBDRMN5” (shorthand for “Ibdrummin” because of my love for all things percussion) but one of my new colleagues read it as “I be dorming” because it looked like I’d packed my entire college dorm into the car. A few months earlier, I graduated from journalism school and was about to embark

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B2B Stories

Gas and convenience chain expands in the CSRA

Edgefield, SC — GasPro, a leading fuel and convenience store chain headquartered in Grovetown, has opened two new locations in Johnston and Trenton. Formerly known as Billy’s gas stations, these modern GasPro stores are now fully operational and ready to fill up your car or truck tank with fuel and your personal tank with an array of food choices. GasPro offers all grades of gasoline and diesel. In addition to fuel, the stores have a wide selection of snacks, beverages, and accessories tailored to the needs of truckers. For busy

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